The Portland daily press., 1887-01-25
THE FUTURE OF woRKlncmEn.
Rev. Henry RIanchard's Lecture Be.
fore the Kr:snts Of Labor

quest Of the Knights of Labor, In Mechan-
les Hall last evening. IL was a brilliant,
able effort, and was constantly interrupted
| by applause. There was an audience Of sew
| eral hundred present, and at the close Of the
lecture vote Of thanks was extended to the
lecturer by rising vote. Mr.. Blanchard
was very happily introduced to the audience
by Mr.. Andrew Cross, who presided over
the meeting The following is an outline Of
| the lecture:
The great Italian patriot MazzlnI wrote 10
the workingmen Of Paris these words: "Ev-
cry political question in this age Is rapidly
becoming a social question, and every social
question religious question" The speaker
accepted tnat statement. He would not
claim to be prophet, who could see all the
future; but, as thinker. he would try 10
interpret all the facts he saw. He believed
there is to be a bright happy, noble future
Ior worklngmen, and his lecture would give
the reasons for this belief.
He believed In this future, first Of all, be-
cause he believed In God. The poet Words,
worth, who was the friend Of workingmen,
said:
"In the unreasoning progress Of the world
A wiser spirit Is at work for
better eye than theirs, most prOdigal,
ot blessings and most studlous Of our good,
Even In what seems our most unfruitful hours"
And Tenayson has said:
THAT God who ever ltvas and loves,
One God, one law, one eleuent,
And one far on divine event.
To which the whole creation mOvcs"
He agreed with the poets and these agree
with prophets and apostles. He believed In
divine plan-a magnificent cOnsummaton
lin all things working together for good at
last. Workingmen are Gods children. His
greatest son was a carpenter The Father
and that Son were working together for the
good OF men. H0nored slowly, hOnOred long
delayed, the great plan goes forward. A
bright future on earth, as well as in heaven,
Is part Of that plan. He believed In this
future for workingmen, also because he saw
how history teaches the gradual improve
meut OF the race. We see how science shows
that man began as barbarian, and how his
tory shows the tribe, the olgarchy, the aris-
tOeracy, the monarchy, the republic. At
last came the United States OF America.
What Is the lesson Of II all? This progress
from bad to good, from good 10 better Is the
prophecy Of the text.
the ''Signs of the Times" indicate the work.
ngman's social imprOvement-his increasing
political powers wisely used-his deepening
religious life. Faith In God may well give
hope even If history had not her message to
deliver. History may well declare that her
story Of progress shall not be changed To
record OF men, but here are signs Of the times
which all men may see, and which, inter-
preted wisely, point to a bright, happy,
noble future.
Let us see what great company Of noble
students and leaders are at work for the
elevation Of workingmen. Here are William
and Alfred r. Wallace, the greatest living
naturalist, and John Ruskin. most eloquent
Of English writers, and Hughes and Prof.
| Thorold Rogers and Parnell and Michael
Davitt ousily, earnestly working, here are
| the professors In German universities; here
| are Henry George and Prof f.. i. Ely study
| ing the past, opposing the old political
economy" pleading for Christs ethics. and
they are accomplishing great results.
Look at the captains OF industry working
for their men. Look at MulhOuse in Alsace
where the wordngmen salute their noble
employer as Father Peter" Look at the
great Fairbanks factories in Sc Johnsbury,
VT, where Gov. Fairbanks said to his men,
You should always come to me as 10 a faith
err See too what the church Universal Is do
lngfor the workingmen. How Is the Roman
Catholic branch Of it9 You may be justly
indignant with its Archbishop COrrigan, but
you need not be disheartened concerning the
church. Father McGynn and the bishops
in Ireland, represent that church far better
than does Corrigan or Donnelly. You may
wisely say, "As much religion from Rome as
you like, but no politics" and "An Ameri-
can citizen, be he priest or layman, shall not
be interfered with for political action by his
ecclesiastical superior, be he archbishop, or
that the hierarchy Is not the church. and that
italian cardinals are limited In power; that
the Roman Catholic church has done splen-
did work for workingmen. 1t will do splend-
Id work in the future.
How are the great Protestant branches of
the church universal? See the great work
of the noble Methodist body for the laboring
men-see what Episcopalian and Presbyte-
rian and Congregationalist bodies are trying
to do-see what the Liberal Christian sects
are doing.
Read the books of noble r. Heber Newton,
the Episcopalian-Of Washington GLADDEN.
and Newman Smyth, the Congregationalists,
Il. Edwin Brown, the Baptist, and you will
be profoundly impressed by the conservation
Of Christian teachers as they try 10 serve
their brothers who call themselves working
men.
Look at another sign Of the times-the or
ganization Of the workingmen who are in-
creaslng in intelligence, IN independence and
In manly, reasonable religious life. Trades
Unions in America and England-Knights Of
Labor-Granges, AMI all the host Of associa-
ted w0rkers-what do they mean2 This, the
Fourth Estate, Is coming into power.
But power can only come as intelligenee
independence, religious life increases. These
do increase, the erOakers to the contrary not
withstanding. There are mistakes; there
are follies there are even crimes. What
W0nderr But these viii grow less. Intelli-
gence IS spreading and with 1t power.
LOOK az the indications OF this fact. AL
ready men see that labor-saying machinery
In the long run, Is for the workingman's
good. IL Is hard lesson 10 learn, but II Is
being learned. Men are seeing that Strikes
strike the strikers hardest. They have de-
manded the establishment Of a National La
Dor Bureau with increasing power. They
will ask for Postal Savings Banks-f0r
State supervision Of all means OF transpor-
tation. Workingmen are increasing their
spirit OF ind spendenee. They will not be
bamboOzled by promises without perform
anees. They will not see that Civil Service
ketorm-nOn-partisan municipal elections
are great means for helping workingmen
WOrkingmen are signing the pledge TO alb
stain from intoxicating liquors. May they
| sign anOther-to abstain from tobacco They
are seeing that the Christianity Of Christ Is
| the religion which lOORs to earth for pres
| ent heaven instead Of TO another life. They
will, one day, demand that men shall be
| judged by their fruits. They viii see as one
/ Of their own number has said that Jesus
! Christ IS the First Representative OF the
| People"
In conclusion, Mr.. Blanchard made an
earnest appeal that his brothers, the knights
| of Labor, should study, should be patient
should be eonsiderate and, above all, should
see how large a part they have 10 perform In